Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Hi,

I have a 8274 waiting to be mounted on my truck (GQ 24v TD42 Nissan Safari).
My batteries are relocated inside the cab (behind second row) so I wonder if it's a must to connect the winch directly to the batteries or if I could connect somewhere else in the engine bay?

Thanks
David

You can connect to the starter motor + for the positive and connect earth to the chasis.

Cris

Hi Cris,

Connecting to the starter would simplify things greatly for me and would be the best scenario but almost everyone else I've asked told me it was a must to connect directly to the batteries? It'd be great if they were all wrong... Can you confirm? Any drawbacks with going to the starter?

Thanks!
David

only if the starter cable is too small, and your already making it longer so voltage drop maybe a problem

Abitibi wrote:Hi Cris,

Connecting to the starter would simplify things greatly for me and would be the best scenario but almost everyone else I've asked told me it was a must to connect directly to the batteries? It'd be great if they were all wrong... Can you confirm? Any drawbacks with going to the starter?

Thanks!
David

As long as the main cable going to the starter motor from the battery is the same size or bigger (almost always is) than the winch cable it will work. We have done it quite a few times to Land rovers and have never had a problem.

Cris

Have you had problem connecting your earth (-) to the chassis, then when the draw got too high it smoked some wires that were smaller grounds as it was trying to use them as well?

Abitibi wrote:Have you had problem connecting your earth (-) to the chassis, then when the draw got too high it smoked some wires that were smaller grounds as it was trying to use them as well?

No never had a problem. If that was the case every time you turn the starter key the earth draw for the starter would have fried everything already. Just think of your chasis as a big arse electric cable that is connected to the earth side of your battery.

Cris

Good point,

Time to go check the size of the cable at the starter...

Thanks for the help!
David

If you dont run an earth cable (always a good idea to run one) your chassis connections MUST be really clean, large contact surface area etc OR you will take out smaller earth cables as they are all in parallel and will share some of the current flow.

With the positive wire it always agood idea to run with the least amount of connections as you will get voltage drop each time, may be only small but over time they can get electrolysis there that you cant see and resistance and heat goes up.

Do it right and run 2 cables direct to winch.

Bazzle

ludacris wrote:

Abitibi wrote:Have you had problem connecting your earth (-) to the chassis, then when the draw got too high it smoked some wires that were smaller grounds as it was trying to use them as well?

No never had a problem. If that was the case every time you turn the starter key the earth draw for the starter would have fried everything already. Just think of your chasis as a big arse electric cable that is connected to the earth side of your battery.

Cris

the starter doesnt run for 10+ minutes.

If your going to use the chassis for the earth of a winch, You would want to upgrade the size, or add another earth from your chassis to battery.

Thanks for the input, very helpful.

D.